Abstract

R E S U M O

Compreender como funcionam os serviços ecossistêmicos torna-se cada vez mais crucial diante da crescente perda de biodiversidade impulsionada por atividades humanas. Entre os organismos que desempenham papéis relevantes nesse contexto estão os coleópteros da subfamília Scarabaeinae, conhecidos como besouros rola-bostas, que atuam na remoção de excrementos e na dispersão secundária de sementes, além de servirem como bioindicadores eficientes de alterações ambientais. Este estudo investigou de que forma o uso do solo influencia atributos das comunidades desses insetos e, por consequência, o serviço ecossistêmico de dispersão secundária. Foram utilizados excrementos de suínos com sementes artificiais (mímicos) de três dimensões distintas: pequena, média e grande. A estrutura da comunidade foi analisada com base na composição e nos grupos funcionais. Os fragmentos de caatinga apresentaram maior diversidade e abundância de rola-bostas em comparação com áreas de pastagem, embora as taxas totais de dispersão não tenham diferido significativamente. Observou-se influência significativa da sazonalidade: durante a estação chuvosa, a dispersão foi maior (35,9%) em relação à estação seca (2,4%). A abundância não demonstrou impacto direto sobre a dispersão, mas a riqueza de espécies apresentou efeito significativo. Sementes pequenas foram mais frequentemente dispersas (29,34%) do que as médias (21,23%) e grandes (20,68%). Dentre os grupos funcionais, besouros grandes com hábito de enterrar fezes, especialmente do gênero Dichotomius, foram os que mais se correlacionaram com os índices de dispersão. Assim, fatores como a sazonalidade e a variação na riqueza das comunidades de rola-bostas influenciam diretamente a efetividade dos serviços ecossistêmicos prestados por esses insetos.

Palavras-Chaves: Bioindicadores, Grupos funcionais, Dispersão de sementes, Uso da terra, Coleópteros.

Ecosystem services of secondary seed dispersal by dung beetles (Coleoptera: Scarabaeinae) in dry forests and pastures, in Andorinha, Bahia

A B S T R A C T  

Understanding the functioning of ecosystem services is increasingly crucial in the face of rapid biodiversity loss driven by human activities. Among the organisms that play key roles in these processes are dung beetles (Scarabaeinae), which contribute to feces removal and secondary seed dispersal, and serve as effective bioindicators of environmental change. This study evaluated how land use influences the attributes of dung beetle communities and, consequently, the ecosystem service of secondary seed dispersal. Pig feces containing artificial seeds (mimics) of three different sizes: small, medium, and large, were used. Community structure was analyzed based on composition and functional groups. Caatinga areas exhibited higher beetle richness and abundance compared to pastures, although total seed dispersal rates were not significantly different. Seasonality had a significant effect: seed dispersal was higher during the rainy season (35.9%) than in the dry season (2.4%). Abundance did not significantly affect dispersal, but species richness did. Small seeds were more frequently dispersed (29.34%) than medium (21.23%) and large ones (20.68%). Among functional groups, large tunneling beetles, particularly those of the genus Dichotomius, showed the strongest correlation with dispersal rates. Therefore, seasonal variation and changes in beetle community richness directly influence the performance of key ecosystem services, such as secondary seed dispersal.

Keywords: Bioindicators, Functional groups, Seed dispersal, Land use, Dung beetles.

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